Three Surgeries That May Lead To Connecticut Medical Malpractice

Anytime you are scheduled for surgery there is risk involved.  There are simply inherent risks involved in medical procedures.  That is why it is so important that you are vigilant about knowing those risks and speaking to your medical professionals about any concerns you may have.  In the case of surgery your power comes from knowledge.

While risk is a part of the calculation when you are experiencing a surgery, injury from a Connecticut medical malpractice situation should not be.  Whenever you are going in for surgery there is a standard of care that should be adhered to.  If the surgeon, or any other medical professional involved in the procedure deviates from that standard it may be considered medical malpractice.

While all surgeries carry risks there are some procedures that lead to malpractice injuries more often than others:

• General Surgery
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Neurosurgery

The data from a survey of malpractice claims by Coverys found that a large percentage of the claims that were a result of surgeries had resulted in permanent injury (29%) and that 9% of the surgeries resulted in a patient’s death.  The data found that well over half of the claims alleged that the surgeon or other provider was either technically not capable of performing her/his duties or a lack of communication led to the injury.  Other problems that were cited by the report included:

• Leaving a foreign body behind (7%)
• Performing an unnecessary procedure (4%)
• Performing the procedure on the wrong body part or the wrong side of the body (3%)
• Delay in the performance of the procedure (3%)

The best person that can protect your interests and keep you the safest if you’re in need of surgery is you.  You have the power to push for more testing, ask lots of questions, and get a second opinion.  If you do your due diligence you are more likely to avoid a Connecticut medical malpractice issue.  

After you’ve had surgery, if you believe that your surgeon or other medical providers caused you permanent injury when they deviated from the standard of care, contact our office.  Our medical and legal team will review your case.